Table of contents for 33-2020 in Best

EastEnders legend Barbara Windsor – who played iconic landlady Peggy Mitchell – has now been moved into a care home, her heartbroken husband, Scott Mitchell, revealed. Scott – who has been married to the 82-year-old actress for 20 years – confessed that his wife’s Alzheimer’s had progressed during lockdown, to the point where he simply had no choice. And the once love-filled home they shared together now feels sadly empty without her. ‘I have been used to hustle and bustle in this space, then, suddenly, silence,’ said Scott, 57. ‘I feel I’m on an emotional roller coaster. I walk around, trying to keep busy, then burst into tears. It feels like a bereavement.’ Scott’s biggest fear, he admitted, had always been, ‘that one day I would have to take her somewhere…

Princess Anne once famously described herself as ‘not everyone’s idea of a fairy-tale princess’. Indeed, the straight-talking, outdoors-loving Princess is hardly that. But, as she turns 70, it’s clearer than ever that the Queen’s only daughter is quite a national treasure. Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, the Princess Royal, was born at London’s Clarence House on 15 August, 1950 – a good day for her father, Prince Philip, who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy the very same day. After the first sight of his daughter he proudly announced, ‘It’s the sweetest girl!’ Anne grew up with a love of the outdoors, most particularly a passion for horses. Prince Philip would later hilariously remark: ‘If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, Anne isn’t interested.’ But her…

KAKADU PLUM This is one of the natural world’s most potent forms of vitamin C, with even more than orange! Research shows it improves the penetration of vitamin C into the skin, meaning better absorption to fight off free radical damage. It also has folic acid and iron, so little wonder that this powerful antioxidant has been popping up in skin care. Used regularly, it will help give a natural glow. TRY: Vida Glow Active Vitamin C Serum, £39.95 (uk.vidaglow.com), has an impressively high vitamin count, including vitamin E for extra nourishment. KUKUI NUT OIL This has been used for hundreds of years by Hawaiians to soothe cuts and burns, and protect skin from the sun. With vitamins A, C and E – all antioxidants that help create and protect…

As Coronation Street ’s hairdresser, you might assume that Samia Longchambon fared better than most when it came to lockdown hair. But, by her own admission, Samia doesn’t exactly have a natural talent when it comes to trimming locks! As crimper Maria Connor, she once almost chopped off co-star Kate Ford’s entire fringe, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that she had to consult several videos before tackling her own fringe! ‘I watched loads of YouTube videos and ordered some scissors from Amazon – I should have done a hairdressing course 20 years ago, to be fair!’ she laughs. Samia, 38, who lives in Cheshire with her Dancing on Ice skater husband, Sylvain, daughter Freya, 10, and son Yves, four, talks to us about yoga, life in lockdown and…

John Marrs, 49, lives in Northampton with his family. Beginning his career as a showbusiness journalist working on magazines and newspapers, he always wondered if one day he could make it as a writer. And now, with nine bestsellers under his belt, he writes brooding psychological thrillers and pacier tales with a techno spin. A Netflix production of his novel The One is in the can, and Renée Zelwegger’s production company has snapped up rights for his psychological thriller, What Lies Between Us. Did you always dream of becoming a novelist? Well, I’ve always loved books and been a bit of a reader, but not exactly. I guess I always had it in the back of my mind and I wanted to see if I could do it. So, I decided to give…

LEO 24 July – 23 August James Cameron, the blockbuster director of Titanic and Avatar, the queen of pop, Madonna, and other Leos will enjoy spending more time on creative ventures. Unleash your imagination and ingenuity. Working on a song, story or painting will lift your spirits if you give it your all. SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November Taking on extra duties at home, at work or for a volunteer project, could put a strain on your health. A person who always inspires you will present you with a challenge. They know how dedicated you are to making the world a better place, but don’t take on anything new until you know what you’re in for. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February Visiting your favourite online shop and splashing…

DOGSTIVAL, 5 & 6 SEPTEMBER BURLEY PARK, NEW FOREST Fancy a family day out in the heart of the pretty New Forest – fur babies and all? What’s better than a vintage funfair, canine kids’ quizzes and rosettes to win, fun dog shows and obedience challenges?! dogstival.co.uk Tickets start at £9 for kids, up to £54 for a family of four. FAIRHAVEN WOODLAND AND WATER GARDEN SOUTH WALSHAN, NORFOLK Take your pooch on an adventure, to explore the 130 acres of wildlife and woodland at this stunning, award-winning garden. From butterflies to bluebells – you won’t be disappointed. fairhavengarden.co.uk Adults – £7.50; dogs on leads – 30p ABBOTSBURY SUBTROPICAL GARDENS, WEYMOUTH There are a limited number of tickets daily thanks to Coronavirus – and what is and isn’t open will…

In an interview to celebrate her birthday, Anne confessed that the Big Smoke had never held much attraction: ‘I’ve never been a city girl. There was never a question of living in London. It was not a world for me.’ Anne has embraced the farming life for nearly five decades now. She keeps rare-breed cattle, sheep and horses on her land – as well as pigs, which roam freely in their woodland. But it was not her original intention. Given her large estate as a wedding gift from the Queen, she said it had ‘more land than we intended getting’. But she settled into the lifestyle, and continues to ride horses every day – describing racehorse Cloud Formation as ‘the nicest, best-behaved horse I’ve had in years’.…

Mother of six, Mary Kay Letourneau, 58, died on 6 July, at her home near Seattle, after a battle with cancer. Her ex-husband, Vili Fualaau, had been looking after her during the last days of her illness, despite the pair separating last year. It seems right that they were reconciled at the end of her life, as the couple’s story scandalised the world when teacher Mary Kay and her young pupil, Vili, then barely a teenager, had an affair which produced two daughters, and led to Mary Kay serving a seven-year prison sentence for second-degree child rape. Mary Katherine Schmitz was born in California in 1963. Her father was a college lecturer who became a very right-wing politician, and the family were strict Catholics. Two major events scarred her childhood;…

Standing in the changing rooms in New Look, I couldn’t bear the reflection staring back at me. I’d picked up a pair of size-18 jeans and there was no way I was getting them past my hips and bottom, let alone doing the button up. I burst into tears and couldn’t stop. It was time to be honest – I was ashamed of my body and embarrassed of how I’d let it get this far. I headed home, kissed my then four-month-old daughter, Elsie, and little boy, Jake, four, and sat down with my husband, Paul. I knew he loved me regardless of how I looked, but honestly? I didn’t understand how he could find me attractive looking the way I did. He listened as I spoke and then very…

TOP TIP! Nautical style never dates and you can add to your collection year after year.…

For more than four decades, sisters Anne and Linda Nolan have stood by each other’s side – performing as part of Eighties pop band, The Nolans. Last week, however, the two sisters stood together for a very different reason – bravely telling the world about their cancer diagnoses – and how they are enduring gruelling rounds of chemotherapy at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital. After returning home in March from filming their hit Quest Red TV series, The Nolans Go Cruising, with their other sisters – Loose Women’s Coleen, 55, and Maureen, 66 – Linda, 61, and Anne, 69, received different cancer diagnoses within days of each other. Linda has liver cancer, while Anne has developed stage three breast cancer. It’s the second time Anne has been diagnosed with the terrible disease. For…

STUPID SMART MOTORWAYS I hope you aren’t a nervous driver – but Kate Garraway’s recent story must make even the most competent of us behind the wheel shudder. I am very used to driving. Most of my courtship with Eamonn involved treks between Plymouth and London, and Birmingham and London. Over the years, I have driven many hundreds of thousands of miles, and thankfully, not once have I had a tyre blow-out. But Kate’s story fills me with dread. How shocking, how awful, how frightening, to have to grapple at speed to keep your car on the road. But how much worse, to then have no safe place to bring your car to a halt. This was Kate’s experience just two weeks ago. And why did she have no safe…

1 WORK OUT WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO WRITE Are you writing for pleasure, or to make a living? If it’s the first, then write about whatever you like, but if it’s the second, then choose a market that works for you. 2 GET A GOOD PROOF READER A person to check that your manuscript is all in order. It could be the best book in the world, but people will slam it down if it’s littered with spelling mistakes. 3 IF YOU ARE SELF-PUBLISHING, then make sure you get a good cover. It may only appear as the size of a thumbnail – but people really do judge a book by its cover. 4 PROMOTE talk yourself up. There are about 10 Be prepared to million self-published books out there –…

English actress Juno Temple, 31, is best known for her roles in Maleficent and The Other Boleyn Girl. Now, she takes on her most challenging role to date, as Lucy Savage in Little Birds… Hi Juno, what sort of show is Little Birds? It’s inspired by poet Anais Nin’s erotic book Little Birds – with snippets of the actual writing throughout the show. So if you’re a fan of the book, there’ll be moments where you go, ‘Oh, I know that story. I know what that person is talking about. I’ve heard that before!’ Tell us about your character… I play Lucy Savage, who comes fresh off the boat from New York and arrives in Tangier to marry a young, handsome English lord and hopefully start her own story. It’s…

SEARCH ME! Just think of the sun, sea, sand, sights and sensational food – oooh-zo! Look for the listed Greek islands, below. All are hidden in the usual way, except one – which one? AMORGOS ASTYPALEA CORFU CRETE  FOLEGANDROS ITHACA  KEFALONIA LEFKADA MYKONOS NAXOS PAROS PATMOS RHODES SANTORINI  SERIFOS  SKIATHOS  SKOPELOS ZANTE SUDOK-GO! Fill the grid using the numbers from 1 to 9 only. Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square. Now, off you sudok-go! ALL SOLUTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE FACE TIME Have a look at the motley crew below. Who are they and what connects them all? CODE NAME He was a tycoon, now he’s the president – but for once he’s actually useful, as Donald Trump holds the key to solving this…

Loose Women favourite and rock star Rod Stewart’s wife, Penny Lancaster, has spoken out about getting her first menopause symptoms – during lockdown. The star, 49, recently spoke to her co-stars Andrea McLean, Stacey Solomon and Denise Welch on the ITV show via videolink from her home, explaining that Rod, 75, and their sons, Aiden, nine, and Alistair, 14, have been very understanding about her shocking outburst over dinner – which culminated in food being flung across the room. ‘I was in the kitchen, cooking, it had been one of those days where everything had been going wrong, and I’d had enough,’ she explained. ‘I ended up throwing the dinner across the kitchen. I just screamed and burst into tears. The boys came and hugged me. Rod said, “Just give…

TOP TIP A soft camisole is way more feminine than a T-shirt and looks just as good worn under a cardigan.…

While we long for sunnier weather, the warmer months bring their own set of beauty bugbears that can affect everything, from your hair to your make-up. Find the solution here… 1 THE PROBLEM: MY BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS HAVE GONE BRASSY IN THE SUN THE FIX: Use a UV protector that works like a sunscreen to stop your hair going yellow. Try Paul Mitchell Colour Protect Locking Spray, £14.40. Try a few intensive mask treatments, too. ‘Sun-damaged hair is very porous, so it needs to be treated prior to any colouring,’ says hairstylist Adam Reed, co-founder of Percy & Reed. We like Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Beach Mate, £4.99, as it deeply hydrates without weighing hair down. And avoid too much heat styling, as it slows down the repair process and makes the…

I NEED SOME SPACE! I lost my husband last Christmas, suddenly, to a heart attack. Though friends and family have gone above and beyond, supporting and reaching out to me – it’s got a bit much. My sister texts me at least four times a day asking how I am – and, sometimes, I just don’t want to go into it. I will be fine but constantly being asked the same question, makes it worse. I don’t want to feel ungrateful, and the last thing I want to happen is for people to stop talking to me – but there needs to be a balance. Patricia, Inverness I am deeply sorry for your loss, and it is crystal clear that your friends and family feel the same. They are so…

Mini Victoria sponge cakes Also known as a Victoria sandwich, the Queen’s actual tea-time sponge cake would have been sandwiched with only a thick layer of raspberry jam and topped with a sprinkle of sugar. The earliest recipe for this buttery vanilla-infused cake appeared in Mrs Beeton’s Household Management, published in London in 1861. The addition of a layer of whipped cream or buttercream is a recent innovation but one that the Grantham family would likely have enjoyed. Makes 12 cakes FOR THE CAKE 225g (1 cup) unsaltedbutter, at roomtemperature, plusextra for the ramekins250g (2 cups) self-raisingflour, plus extra for the ramekins1½ teaspoons baking powder½ teaspoon salt200g (1 cup) caster sugar4 large eggs, at room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract FOR THE FILLING 300ml (1¼ cups)double cream2 tablespoons icing sugar210g (⅔…

HOW IT WORKS 1 It’s simple – during the week you eat a healthy, low-calorie diet that helps you lose weight. Then, at the weekend, you simply aim to maintain that loss and enjoy a few treats. Come Monday morning, it’s back to watching those calories so the weight falls off again. 2 You might think: hang on, isn’t that what I’m doing anyway? Well, not exactly. You see, come Friday night when you normally take that first bite of rogan josh and naan, chances are you enter the ‘well that’s blown it’ mindset – and from then it’s all bets are off. 3 On this plan, however, enjoying a treat doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The pressure is off – if you just follow a couple of simple rules over…

‘One of the worst aspects of human behaviour to come out of the chaos called Coronavirus is how easily a worrying number of us have become so adept at snitching. It’s sad, because I’ve always seen us as a naturally rebellious bunch, with a live-and-let-live attitude. But now, we have to contend with a new kind of self-appointed Stasi-next-door, who see it as their civic duty to grass up the neighbours for petty breaches of ‘guidelines’. I was genuinely shocked by the number of people – who felt threatened enough by neighbours having a barbecue or leaving the house more times than they were ‘allowed’ to – involving the police, some by webcam! OK, it’s partly born out of fear, where some genuinely believe they are ‘doing the right thing’.…

Linda and Anne’s sister, Maureen, 66, recently revealed, hilariously, that the sisters would prefer to have a cuppa than go looking for love. ‘I’d rather have a cup of tea than go to a bar. If someone comes back at you, you revert to being 16 again. I actually blush. None of us are particularly looking for love. It would have to happen organically. I would love to see the girls with some nice person in their life, but you have to get yourself back out there and I don’t know if any of us could be bothered.’ Popping the kettle on with you sisters for a cuppa and a natter does have a certain appeal…!…

A SOFT SPOT FOR ART I see a Big Ice Cream With A Cherry On Top. But I’m a simple soul from the Catchphrase school of thought – in other words, ‘Say what you see’! Artist Heather Phillipson sees The End, a dystopian artwork. The fly doesn’t help make her vision any more attractive, but my soft spot for ice cream and the summer weather helps me forget that. Whatever it actually is, you can see it in Trafalgar Square, until next Spring. BORN AT SPEED Naomi Hubbard from Peterborough had Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute on series link – and it came in very handy. I am often accused by Ruth of almost failing to get her to the maternity ward in time, for the birth of our…

Ruth Langsford offered her support to Dr Alex George recently, in a moving post on Instagram – heartbreaking for a myriad of reasons. The Loose Woman, who lost her own adored sister, Julia, last year, reached out to the former Love Island star – an NHS doctor who’s been on the frontline of the Coronavirus battle – after he revealed that his younger brother had taken his own life. When Alex announced that his 20-year-old brother, Llyr, had passed away, following a battle with his mental health, she was just one of thousands of people to comment and offer condolences. But for Ruth – who is still coping with the intense grief of losing older sister, Julia, so shockingly in June last year, aged 62, after years of fighting depression…

Do you like ghost stories? Do you have an idea for a spine-tingling spooky tale to enjoy by the fireside? Then why not put pen to paper and take a shot at our Autumn short story competition. We are looking for stories (maximum of 1,200 words) that have a supernatural theme – the spookier the better! HOW TO ENTER Send your story along with your name, email address and phone number to: bestfiction2020@hearst.co.uk with ‘best fiction 2020’ in the subject title by midnight on 15 September 2020. Entries will be judged by 5 October 2020 and a winner, plus two runners-up, will be picked shortly afterwards, chosen by a team at best. We will use the information you provide to process your competition entry. For our privacy notice, please see…

EMMERDALE BROKEN HEARTS & CROSSED WIRES Dawn learns of Harriet and Malone’s affair and the reality of the situation hits her like a train, as Dawn declares she’ll tell Will about Harriet’s affair, unless Harriet does it first. Before long, Dawn (above) arrives at the police station and informs PC Swirling that she wants to launch a report against a senior policeman… Meanwhile, Belle is left reeling by Jamie’s revelation but will she, too, go to the police? David’s embarrassed about using a dating app but panics when he bumps into Gaz (a man buying breath spray in the shop) who boasts he’s on his way to meet a date and he realises it’s Leyla… Leyla meets Gaz outside her office but seems somewhat confused by his arrival. Later, Leyla…

Over the past 30 years, acclaimed actor Stephen Tompkinson has become a household favourite, with roles in TV shows such as DCI Banks, Wild at Heart and Ballykissangel. The 54-year-old, from Stockton-on-Tees, is also known for playing Phil in heartwarming Nineties hit movie Brassed Off, about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of their pit. Now, Stephen – who recently split from long-term girlfriend, Scots diplomat Elaine Young and has grown-up daughter, Daisy, from his second marriage – is bringing back hope for live theatre, as he stars in Willy Russell’s play Educating Rita, alongside Jessica Johnson. As the show opens at Cornwall’s magical Minack open-air theatre – a spot well-known, incidentally, for sightings of humpback and minke whales, dolphins and seals – Stephen tells…

Actress Jessica Johnson, who’s starred in TV shows like Corrie and The Wire, told best, of taking on the meaty part of Rita, ‘It is one of those roles that everyone loves – so you feel as if you have a duty to do her justice, because she is such a strong character. It was one of the first plays to feature a working-class woman, and, back in 1980, that was unheard of. I’m just so happy to get out of lockdown, I found that really difficult. My daughter works in a nursing home, so I have been very worried for her. I’m happy to get back to work!’ As for what it’s like to work with Stephen, Jessica revealed, ‘When I first started doing this, people would ask me if…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Right now, we have London to ourselves and it’s wonderful. There are no queues to get in anywhere – the Tower of London, the staff and the ravens are waiting to welcome you. And London is green – it’s really just lots of little villages strung together by parks, lakes and one big river. Kensington Palace gardens are a great place to sit and remember where Princess Diana lived. Our parks are amazing – I had forgotten how amazing… So come to the capital! Take full advantage. You don’t need to spend a fortune, just hire a ‘Boris bike’, pack some sandwiches in a rucksack, and enjoy the sights… INSIDER’S GUIDE Mark [Armstrong], my fiancé, and I have cycled everywhere since lockdown. London has beautiful bike lanes, especially…